Food of Tuvalu

Tuvaluan food comes from the sea, the coconut palm, and the pit gardens of taro and pulaka. Fish, especially tuna, is grilled, boiled, or eaten raw with coconut cream, and pulaka (giant swamp taro) is a staple. Feasts include pork, fish, and sweet coconut puddings.

National dish

Pulaka with fish

Staples

  • fish, pulaka, coconut, breadfruit, rice, taro

Signature flavors

  • coconut cream, lime, salt

Main dishes

Fish in coconut cream

Fresh fish simmered.

Key ingredients: fish, coconut cream
Pulaka
Pulaka

Giant swamp taro, cooked in coconut.

Key ingredients: pulaka, coconut cream
Grilled tuna

Fresh.

Key ingredients: tuna
Fekei

Pulaka cooked with coconut cream.

Key ingredients: pulaka, coconut cream
Rice with chicken

Everyday.

Key ingredients: rice, chicken
Breadfruit
Breadfruit

Roasted.

Key ingredients: breadfruitFull guide →

Breakfast

Fried dough

Sweet.

Key ingredients: flour, sugar
Boiled taro
Boiled taro

With coconut.

Key ingredients: taro

Desserts and sweets

Coconut pudding

Sweet.

Key ingredients: coconut, sugar
Pulaka cake

Sweet baked.

Key ingredients: pulaka, coconut

Drinks

Coconut water

Fresh.

Key ingredients: young coconut
Sweet tea

Common.

Key ingredients: tea, sugar

Fruits and produce

Coconut
Coconut

Staple.

Key ingredients: milkFull guide →
Pandanus
Pandanus

Sweet.

Key ingredients: eaten fresh
Banana
Banana

Fresh.

Key ingredients: eaten freshFull guide →
Breadfruit
Breadfruit

Starchy.

Key ingredients: roastedFull guide →

Dish guides from Tuvalu

Banana
BananaFruits
Breadfruit
BreadfruitFruits
Coconut
CoconutFruits
Explore Tuvalu on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.

More cuisines of Polynesia

About this page

Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.

Photo credits
  • Babai: Tauʻolunga, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Artocarpus altilis (fruit): Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Songe-Réunion: No machine-readable author provided. Thierry Caro assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Cocos nucifera - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-187: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Pandanus utilis fruit: B.navez, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • 14-QWSTION-BANANATEX-STRIPPING-LAUSCHSICHT: BANANATEX, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)